Thursday, October 27, 2011

Where Have You Gone, October?

I seriously cannot believe that this is the last Thursday in October. Where did this month go?!? Weren't we all just mourning the loss of August? Speeding through September to get to Tat Days weekend? Then BOOM! Hello, November.

With a new month comes a new resolve -- to befriend beads!

OctoStarFlake © 2011 Jane Eborall


The pattern is on the Palmetto Tat Days 2011 Pattern CD. The thread used for this motif is Lizbeth® #135 Lollipop in size 20. The beads are size 11 Dyna-mites™ seed beads in blue/lilac. A few galvanized gold seed beads in size 11 found their way into the mix too, just for fun.

How many of you remember how OctoStarFlake started out?

As a magnetic brooch cum fridge magnet!

Donna Thompson, if you are reading, please accept my heartfelt thanks for all the patient attention you gave to me during this class at Tat Days. I will return your shuttles to you loaded in either the Lizbeth® or hand-dyed thread of your choice as a thank you!

Imagine how hopeless a student has to be for the teacher to hand her two pre-wound shuttles (from her personal stash) to start over? Folks, I don't make this stuff up.


(That's Julie Beagle, who thought it was a great time to beg for a treat while I was taking the picture.) Lord knows, I wanted to go to Tat Days in 2003 but I didn't make it there until 2009.

And Lord knows I wanted to sail through this class brilliantly. But arriving late, not starting with shuttles wound CTM. . . To make a long story short, I just couldn't get my brain in gear. The words I used at the time were "I can't get out of the driveway."

But some class learnin' must have sunk in, because I made it through the pattern at home with no trouble.

No doubt this was due to the many gracious tips and warm-hearted help from the ladies seated next to me. This is ON TOP OF the patient direction received from Donna Thompson. Thank you, Donna! Thank you, ladies! I couldn't have completed this motif without you.

Is anyone else as amazed as I am to see a motif with so many beads reel off my shuttles?

8 comments:

Karrieann said...

Tatters are generous people, who gladly share what they know!

and why is it that I failed to know about your fur-kid named Julie?

also.. under your picture of you hand... you stated that the pattern in on the Palmetto Tat Days 2001 Pattern CD... did ya mean 2011?????

giggles

Ladytats said...

very very nice, you did a great job. Glad you persevered. congratulations. Tatters are generous and wonderful people.

IsDihara said...

MyTwoCents, thanks for catching my typo! I have made the correction. And you have heard me talk about my two hounds, but I may not have described them in detail. I have TWO beagle-mixes who are spoiled rotten.

Fox said...

Yesssss!

Beads and Beagles
Make my day
I'm so happy
You did play.

Now you're gonna
See all shine
'Cause your tatting shows
Itself divine!

Fox : ))

John said...

I'm with you on the beads. I have all that I need to do some beautiful projects (just like yours)...but, I still go rigt back to the traditional...minus the beads.

Beautiful work!
John

Marilee Rockley said...

Wonderful job on that motif! I'm a little confused about your shuttle story, it says 2003 on the shuttles and then you went in 2009, and you're first returning them now?! LOL, well, obviously you have learned lots about tatting, your work is super!

IsDihara said...

Yarnplayer, hopefully this explanation will help clear up my muddy shuttle story.

Donna Thompson has attended Tat Days since 2003 (the first one) and had the two shuttles pictured in her personal stash. She had presumably pre-wound them to demonstrate techniques, if necessary, during the 2010 OctoStarFlake class. Or maybe she was just being prepared for contingencies.

When my in-class attempt was beyond help, she pulled out the two Boye shuttles marked Tat Days 2003 and handed them to me so I could start again from the beginning. Wasn't that generous of her?

I could have left class and wound up two shuttles anew and carried on, but Donna was too gracious and kind to let me leave without completing something, even if it was just a single ring.

Crazy Mom! said...

Looks loverly

All the Tat Days folks are so generous, and Donna is certainly no exception. She's a love.